Traditionally, vehicles have utilized transmission shift levers mounted on a steering column or on the center console of the vehicle. In the case of an automatic transmission shift lever mounted on the center console, the position of the shift lever is commonly communicated to the operator via a lever indicator assembly located adjacent to the shift lever.
More specifically, the shift lever is typically fixably connected to a pivot assembly which in turn is operably linked to the transmission. A connector arm extends laterally from the pivot assembly and is connected in turn to the lever indicator assembly. The lever indicator assembly typically comprises an indicator member having a flag portion on the upper end. The bottom end of the indicator member is typically fixably connected to the connector arm in an approximately upright position. When the shift lever is moved by an operator of the vehicle in an arc about the pivot axis of the pivot assembly, the flag portion of the indicator member will correspondingly be moved in an arc about the pivot axis of the pivot assembly.
The flag portion of the indicator member is typically housed beneath a lens on the console such that the operator of vehicle can see the position of the flag. The position of the shift lever, and the particular gear engagement of the transmission, is communicated to the operator via position designations located along or adjacent to the lens itself, such as D for drive, N for neutral, R for reverse, and 1, 2, or 3 for first, second or third gears.
One of the problems with this typical prior art indicator assembly is that the flag portion of the indicator member is restricted to a specific path of travel in a single plane having one configuration, that being a circular arc about the fixed pivot axis of the pivot assembly.
This restricted path of travel is undesirable if an alternate path of travel is desired to solve packaging, viewability or aesthetic problems. For instance, it may be desirable to allow the flag portion of the indicator member to follow a circular arc, or a series of circular arcs, about a fixed axis, or fixed axes, which does not comprise the fixed pivot axis of the pivot assembly. Additionally, it may also be desirable to have the flag portion follow a path of travel in a lateral direction other than the path of travel along the plane of an arc about the fixed pivot axis of the pivot assembly.